Addressing Hunger in the Golden State
Catherine Macpherson
Senior Vice President Healthcare Strategy and Chief Nutrition Officer at Mom's Meals | A Purfoods Company
California, America’s most populous state, produces nearly half of our nation’s fruits and vegetables. Yet, nearly 4.3 million Californians were considered food insecure in 2018. For 2020, analysts projected a 2.1 million increase, translating into 6.4 million food-insecure Californians. Inarguably, COVID-19 has adversely affected the lives of many in the Golden State.
Food insecurity is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” It co-exists with other issues, such as lack of affordable housing, social isolation, chronic or acute health problems, high medical costs, and low wages.
Given the ongoing pandemic, what is being done to help these vulnerable populations? You don’t need to look far to find initiatives in action across the state of California. For example:
The Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) helps Medi-Cal eligible seniors to age in place by delaying or avoiding inappropriate and costly nursing home placement through the provision of long-term services and supports necessary for independent living. Some home and community-based services (HCBS) include meal services, housing assistance, transportation and care management.
In January of this year, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) formally released its final California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) proposal, a multi-year initiative that calls for non-clinical interventions focused on a whole-person care approach. CalAIM services target social determinants of health (SDOH) as a way to avoid high costs associated with hospital and skilled nursing facility (SNF) utilization by Medi-Cal members.
Meals/medically tailored meals is one of 14 “in lieu of services” (ILOS), defined by the DHCS as "medically appropriate and cost-effective alternatives to services that can be covered under the State Plan," according to the latest CalAIM proposal. "In lieu of services may be focused on addressing combined medical and social determinants of health needs to avoid higher levels of care. They are typically delivered by a different provider or in a different setting than traditional State Plan services." Implementation of ILOS is slated to begin January 1, 2022.
Another sweeping initiative is California’s Master Plan for Aging (https://mpa.aging.ca.gov). It is projected that by 2030, 10.8 million Californians will be an older adult (over age 60), making up one-quarter of the state’s population. The Master Plan for Aging, released January 2021, serves as a blueprint that can be used by state government, local communities, private organizations, and philanthropy to build environments that promote an age-friendly California.
It outlines five goals and 23 strategies to build a California for All Ages by 2030. Goal Two, “Health Reimagined,” says, “We will have access to the services we need to live at home in our communities and to optimize our health and quality of life.” Under Goal Two, Strategy A— “Bridging Health Care with Home”—includes several initiatives (#33, #34 and #35) regarding Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS).
Project Roomkey and Restaurants Deliver are two other efforts that have helped to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Launched in March 2020, Project Roomkey provides hotel rooms to people experiencing homelessness who have been infected by or exposed to the coronavirus, as well as those who are at high risk of complications—like older adults and people with underlying health conditions. Restaurants Deliver, administered by local authorities, helps ensure that older Californians who are ineligible for other nutrition programs have consistent access to nutritious meals while staying healthy at home.
As the pandemic persists, new initiatives continue to emerge in California and across America to help vulnerable populations survive. For the good of all, it is very likely that many of these successful efforts will continue on long after the pandemic is past – and Mom’s Meals looks forward to continuing to be a collaborative partner in CA every step of the way.
Want to learn more? Download our latest whitepaper today:
Hunger in the Golden State: California and Food Insecurity in the Pandemic
· The Issue of Food Insecurity
· Policymaking in the Pandemic
· Health Plan and Community Response
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